[ Taiki D7 - Gimmick ] Contemplation
Taiki had spent several hours at a time each day sitting in the tea room, often quiet with thought or looking utterly tired beyond belief. He doesnât order much, if anything at all; but today seemed like a different occasion. Taiki slipped into the shop, chimed a cheerful hello towards the shopkeepers, and then directed his attention towards Shunsuke.
âHey, hey! Is it okay if I talked to you about, like, something serious? Like, seriously serious?â
To Shunsukeâs approval, Taiki offered him a smile and followed him towards another room. The boy took a seat, a pensive and nervous look immediately overtaking his features. He doesnât hesitate for long before diving straight into his troubles:
âI donât wanna leave this place with blood on my hands.â
His feet started to gently swing. It wasnât proper sitting etiquette, but it grounded the boy at least.
âLike, see- all my life, Iâve been teaching myself that I gotta be all nice to other people and stuff. And I like to be nice! And killing people? Thatâs really not nice. I know that, like, erasureâs something thatâs common down here and all, but it looks and feels like a different deal when it comes to Reapers erasing Players versus Players erasing Reapers.
"It sorta feels like, for the latter, itâs almost okayâ especially since erasing the GM sounds like the most common thing to happen for people like that. I donât really think itâs fair, but if thoseâre the rules, thenâŠâ
Taiki shakes head.
âBut a bunchâve us Players agree that the GM this time aroundâs not someone we can just erase and walk away from! We wanna spare him! We want him to stay alive, just as much as we wanna stay alive, too!! We worked so, so hard to get this far, and to let it end in more blood-spilling - it feels wrong!
"ButâŠâ
The boy slumped back into his seat, crossing his arms.
âI⊠I donât think I can spare him. My fee, itâ it makes sure that I put myself first before I worry âbout anyone else. So if someoneâs standing in my way from what I want, then theyâll definitely be mowed down if I can help it.
"I already got everyone updated on the deal, but Iâmâ Iâm just worried!â He groaned. âWhat if everyone hesitates to spare Hawk, and I end up killing him?? Whatâre we supposed to do if we lose somebody just 'cause we thought it was a good idea to save him?? What if nobody comes out alive, and itâs mostly my fault because I told everyone that we gotta hold back and give him a chance??â
Taiki slumped forward, almost looking as if he was going to rest his weight against the table.
âItâs not fairâŠÂ I wanna win so, so badly- but that could mean going against what I believe in, and it feels like total garbage.â
âAh... The clashing of morality and the will to live again... it is a troubling one indeed. Perhaps there is another way to defeat him without erasing him? I would not be the one to know exactly how, but if you have come so far in such a difficult game... then perhaps you and your fellow Players will be able to figure out how. It is certainly worth a try.â
Shunsuke waits for a moment after speaking, before rising, giving a small apology, and mentioning that he will return very shortly. Two to three minutes later, he returns with a cup of green tea, placed delicately in front of the boy.
âThank you for being a regular here during this trying time. I hope this is enough repayment for your troubles, and with sincerest wishes, I hope you are able to accomplish what you wish to.â
[ Taiki receives 1x Green Tea, on the house! ]